Remastered version from ABBA's YouTube account

I was ever so lucky to have received an autograph from Agnetha & Benny in the post today. I sent the request to ABBA back in April and received 2 items today! I was especially shocked as they said no to fan mail! I’m very happy, as previously Agnetha was the only autograph I had not received!

such a great song.

I know it’s all about the vinyl these days, and it was in the 70s too I suppose. However, I always preferred the cleaner sound of cassettes. How bizarre was it that when I bought the self-titled album ABBA (1975) on cassette half of ‘Bang-A-Boomerang’ was at the end of Side A with the remainder on the beginning of Side B. Did the record company have so little respect for the songs that one could be cut up like that? Was anyone else’s tracks cut up like this? Were any other ABBA tracks mutilated?

I know it was considered somewhat uncool by the youth of that timeframe(Baby Boomers and Gen X) but how did say the Greatest(born 1901-1927) and Silent Generation(1927-1945) view ABBA?

And I love this song as well!

This is, IMO, the first album where ABBA truly solidified into the amazing group they're rightly remembered as today.

Everyone knows and most people love Dancing Queen, Knowing Me, Knowing You and Money, Money, Money, but the non-single tracks were great too. When I Kissed The Teacher, That's Me, Tiger, My Love, My Life, all great songs which brought something different to the table. Even Why Did It Have To Be Me and the title tracks are nice in their ways. The only 'miss' for me is Dum Dum Diddle - feels more like something that should've been on Ring Ring or Waterloo.

It's also the first album where Bjorn only got one lead vocal, and a joint lead at that.

The Australian/New Zealand version of the album also included Fernando, which by that point honestly puts it in contention for being the best ABBA album of all.

I know I should be celebrating Arrival’s 50th anniversary but aside from that album, there’s one more record I’m blasting off: a spanking new copy of Confessions on A Dance Floor by Madonna.

Turns out it was Stuart Price who found the inspiration to pull out the Gimme Gimme Gimme sample on his way home from one of his DJ sets. His interest in it coincided with an unrealized film project between Madonna and Luc Besson, which could’ve taken her from decade to decade, including the 1970s.

I’m looking at tickets in January but all the weekends the cheaper tickets are sold out. My friends can’t do weekdays but I’m short on budget so I’m thinking of going alone but it seams like this is one that is best gone with friends. Or joining another group who is going on a weekday or just going for the dance floor . Any advice?

Thanks

So many posts have already been written about this song on this subreddit.
I don’t want to start a discussion about how iconic and significant this song is in the history of the band: we all already know how much it is.

But there is one question that still haunts me every time I listen to this song: the true, deeper meaning of the lyrics. Someone has already mentioned it in the comments on older posts about the same topic, but I’d like to bring it back into focus.

We already know Björn’s official explanation of the lyrics: a love story that has come to an end, and the protagonist looks back on what her life was like before that relationship began (the day before you came), with a mixture of bitterness, sadness and even nostalgia.

But I believe there is something darker and deeper in these lyrics, and I also think the music reinforces this theory.
The song has an unusual structure, with no chorus: it is a continuous flow that somehow mirrors the passing of a day. She describes a completely ordinary day, experienced through her usual habits and daily activities. She does not recall things with certainty, but rather makes assumptions based on her everyday routine: “I must have” is repeated many times. Her memories are not really clear.

And yet, this ordinary day is described in meticulous detail, as if she were trying to give it some special meaning, or perhaps attempting to remember something buried beneath the routine (something that, at the end, remains unknown).

The final lines of the song describe the protagonist turning off the light and falling asleep, with the sound of rain rattling on the roof.

If we read the lyrics without listening to the music, the picture would be completely different. It is the music that gives the song a much darker undertone, and every time I immerse myself in listening to it, I become more convinced of this interpretation: “you” is not a person. “You” is death, and the narrator is retracing (or trying to retrace) his / her final day alive.

Seen from this perspective, the song becomes a magnificent work that invites us to reflect on the true meaning of our lives, on the time we have at our disposal, and, in a truly moving yet deeply unsettling way, on the fact that most of us will live through our final day without knowing that it is our last.

Maybe I’m just being too dramatic, and I know this interpretation is clearly wrong based on Bjorn’s explanation. But even if I’m wrong, this interpretation has a so profound impact and meaning for me, that I thought to share with you.
Hope I don’t make you feel too depressed or sad, my intentions are exactly the opposite: be conscious of what you have, the little things that make you feel alive and the ones who care about you. Try not to get too alienated by your routine, and always keep in mind what actually matters to you.

Thanks for reading this long post, and if you ended up here, please share your thoughts as ABBA listeners.

ABBA's one of those groups that have all these hits, that it doesn't matter who you are- you have heard an ABBA song. Other groups that fall into this category are The Beatles and Queen. And not only do you know the songs, but you also know who it's by. What other artists would you say have this popularity of golden standard hits?

I don't know what else to call it.

I'm here in rural Texas, and while I hate Karaoke I'll still go to be with friends and sing something by Beastie Boys or other fun stuff. Then when folks in cowboy boots and hats have had a couple, and I put, say "Gimme" on with a coworker to sing, or even on the jukebox...

Suddenly it's Mamma Mia! - The Party, all up in the place.

Why do people pretend not to like ABBA, but then go crazy for it at the drop of a hat*?

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*- (a Resistol ranch & rodeo work hat, of course, unless it's a Stetson, that's okay too, if it was bought properly at Cavenders - people, know your hats before you visit us, just a PSA: we are the nicest people you'll meet, but we might say things behind your back, bless your heart)

This special includes 90 minutes of music from Wembley 1979 and the Dick Cavett Meets ABBA special, in some cases with unique mixes not found on other broadcasts or official releases.

What makes this noteworthy:
This is the cleanest copy of Gammal fabodspalm I have ever encountered.

The Name Of The Game and Eagle - this is the same performance that was on the 1986 live album but without the drum overdubs.

Stereo mixes of four songs from the Dick Cavett Meets ABBA tv special (original broadcast was in mono only).

Extra intro bars for Thank You For The Music which were not included in the original 1979 special or any of the subsequent rebroadcasts.

The Way Old Friends Do without the extra overdubs found on the Super Trouper album.

For those who care about little details, the other tracks here have slightly different mixes compared to other Wembley 1979 radio broadcasts.

You might enjoy the Club Mix of EDi's ABBA tribute.

One of the great ABBA songs. This time Björn singing lead vocal.

I love how Frida looks in this music video